Device for securing pickets to wire fences.



PATENTED JULY 28 S. WHARTON. DEVICE FOR SECURING PIOKETS TO WIRE FENCES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1 1907.

IN I '/;IV TOR.

W1 TN "SSES:

SAMUEL WHARTON, OF NEAR XENIA, OHIO.

DEVICE FOR SECURING PICKETS TO WIRE FENCES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, 1908.

Application filed July 1, 1907. Serial No. 381,672.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL WHARTON, a citizen of the United States, residing near Xenia, in the county of Greene and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Securing Pickets to Wire Fences or Similar Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements for securing pickets or slats to wire fences or other wire cables, serving also to take up the slack if the wire is not taut, but capable of applying the pickets to a tight wire with equal facility.

The device comprises an implement for clam ing the slat upon the wire strand and so ho ding it while wire hoops are applied and secured by a winding device which forms part of the invention.

The object of the invention is to simplify the construction as well as the means and mode of operation of such devices, whereby they will not only be cheapened in construction, but are more efficient in use, rendered easy of operation, and unlikely to get out of repalr.

A further object is to provide a device capable of securing any desired number of pickets'to either a tight or slack fence, which in either case will leave the fence in a perfectly tight condition, and further, to provide a device which may be used to secure the picket to the lowermost strand, in close proximity to the ground.

Vith the above primary and other incidental objects in view, as will appear from the specifications, the invention consists of the construction, parts, and combination thereof, and the mode of operation or their equivalents hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device in operative position, with a picket clam ed to the wire strand, but the tie wire not fastened. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the winding or fastening device for the tie wire which forms a part of the device and the present invention. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the clamping and winding implements in their adjusted positions. Fig. 4 is an end view of the clamping device. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a portion of the clamping device. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the double pawl and ratchet connection of the operating crank. Fig. 7 is a plan View showing by solid lines a picket secured to a slack wire, and by dotted lines the relation of the same picket to a tight wire.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several vlews.

In the drawings, 1 is the picket, 2 is the wire strand or cable to which it is to be secured and 3 is the tie wire;

As before stated the means for securing the pickets consists of a clamping device and a winding device cooperating therewith.

The clamping device comprises a handle or grip portion 4 within which is revolubly mounted a shaft 5 screw threaded through a portion of its length, and having secured thereto a notched collar or ratchet wheel 6, the recesses of which are so shaped that the corresponding pawl will move the wheel in either direction. J ournaled on the extremity of the shaft 5 adjacent to the collar 6 is a crank 7 to which is pivoted a double pawl 8 engaging the ratchet collar 6. Pivoted to the crank 7 is a casing 9 having therein a spring pressed plunger 10 adapted to bear on the double pawl 8 on either side of its pivotal connection to hold either side of said double pawl in engagement with the ratchet collar at will. The driving connection of the crank with the shaft may be reversed by swinging the casing 9 about its pivotal connection to the opposite side. The movement of the casing may be limited either by a pin 11 projecting from the crank 7 within a recess 12 in said casing, or by stops 18 at either side of the pawl 8.

The screw threaded portion of the shaft 5 extending beyond the portion 4 engages with a screw threaded opening in a bifurcated member 14, and is provided at its extremity with a head 15 adapted to reciprocate between the arms of the bifurcated member 147 The swivel engagement of the shaft 5 with the head 15 is best shown in Fig. 5. The shaft is provided with an annular groove 16 near its extremity, into which project studs or screws 17 located in the head 15. Each of the arms of the bifurcated member 14 is provided with a notch 18 forming a hook to envers 19 having lugs 20 adapted when the levers are moved about their pivotal connections to coincide with the side of the picket 2 as shown at the right in Fig. 3.

The winding member is shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and consists of two similar levers 21 pivoted together at 22 having a spring 23 either side of the picket.

which holds their working ends or jaws in contact. The jaws are offset as at 24 and provided with registering transverse grooves at 25 within which is engaged the wire strand or cable 2 and registering longitudinal grooves at 26 for the engagement of the tie wire 3. In order to give the device greater bearing on the strand, a half boss 27 is formed on eachof the levers 21, throughout which the grooves 25 are continued. 0 posite ends of the levers 21 is a recessed or s otted lug 28 for the purpose hereafter mentioned.

In performance the operation is as follows: The picket 1 is placed against the strand 2 and the hooked extremities of the bifurcated member 14 are engaged with the strand 2 on The crank 7 is then operated to cause the head 15 to bear upon the picket and clamp it in position, however, before clamping the picket in place, a straight piece of wire is laid across the bi furcated member between the head 15 and the picket to form the tie wire 3. The ratchet construction described permits the device to be used in close proximity to some obstruction which would prevent a complete revolution of the crank 7 and permits the attachment of a picket close to the ground the device being released by reversing the pawl 8 and operating the crank. When the picket is clamped in position with the tie wire in place as mentioned the forming levers 19 are operated. The lugs 20 engage the tie wire 3 and bend it at right angles about the picket and cause it to conform tightly thereto as shown in Fig. 3. The tie wire is then engaged by the slotted lug 28 of the winding member and bent parallel with the strand 2 as at 29 Fig. 3 and again at right angles thereto as at 30, Fig. 3. The winding member is then engaged with both the strand 2 and the tie wire 3 as shown in Fig. 2, the strand extending through the grooves 25 and the tie wire through those marked 26 and the device is rotated about the strand 2 as an axis, which causes the tie wire 3 to be tightly wra ped about the strand 2 as'at 31. If any slac is present in the strand 2 it will be removed during the operation by drawing the At the strand wholly or partially about the picket 1 as shown in solid lines Fig. 7. If, however, the strand is tight, the picket will be equally well applied as indicated by dotted lines in the same figure.

From the above description it will be apparent that there has been produced a device for the purpose set forth, possessing all the features of advantage enumerated as desirable and which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportion, detail construction or arrangement of parts, without departing from the-principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device as described, a bifurcated member, the integral arms of which are adapted to engage the fence on opposite sides of the picket, a screw threaded shaft engaging said member, a head on said shaft adapted to reciprocate between the arms of said bifurcated member and to bear on the picket, and a crank for operating said screw threaded shaft, substantially as specified.

2. In a device as described, a bifurcated member, a movable head adapted to reciprocate between the arms of said bifurcated member, means for moving said head, and forming arms pivoted to said head, substantially as specified.

3. In a device as described, a bifurcated member adapted to engage the fence, a movable head adapted to clamp the picket in place, forming arms pivoted to said head, and projections on said arms conforming to the shape of the picket and adapted to form the tie wire about said picket, substantially as specified.

4. In a device as described, a bifurcated member, a movable head, a screw shaft engaging the bifurcated member and movable head, a ratchet collar secured tosaid shaft, a crank pivoted on said shaft, and a pivoted pawl on said crank engaging said ratchet collar, substantially as specified.

5. In a device as described, a bifurcated member, a movable head, a screw shaft engaging said head and bifurcated member,a ratchet collar secured to said shaft, a crank pivoted to the shaft, a double acting pawl pivoted to said crank, and a spring pressed plunger adapted to bear on said pivoted pawl on either side of its pivotal connection, substantially as specified.

6. In a device as described, a member adapted to engage the wire strand, a clamping member adapted to press the picket against the wire strand, in combination with forming arms adapted to bend the tie wire to conform to said picket, substantially as specified.

7. In a device as described, a main member adapted to engage the Wire strand, a In testimony whereof, Ihave hereunto set clamping 1member chooperakting therewith to my hand this 28 day of June, 1907. tern orari securet e ic etin ace, ivoted f orming arms adap ed to engage the tie SANIUEL 5 Wire and bend the same about the picket into Witnesses:

conformity therewith, substantially as and E. H. HUNT, for the purpose specified. J ESSE B. STIKEsBURY. 

